To make my final edit, i printed out all the images i'd chosen from both shoots and played them all out to work out which ones worked well with each other and which ones didn't quite fit what i wanted.
I knew i wanted my image selection to be about half plot holders and half still life images of the allotments, which is helped when i was working out which images to use. It was quite hard to work out which images were better than others because i really liked certain ones but then they didn't fit with the others in the series so they had to be cut.
After much thought and some help from my course mates on what images i should use i finally got it down to 20. Below is an image of what the series looked like laid out on a table, and is how i worked out my order and which images to use and what worked best.
So starting from the top left hand side, theres an opening shot of the Midwinter sign which is the first thing you see when you walk down the road to get to the allotments.
Leading to an establishing shot of actually inside the allotments, looking up one of the roads getting a glimpse of the sheds and the plots just so that you get a bit of an idea of what the place is like and how big it actually is. Most of the plot holders have cars and they drive round to their plots because the place is so large, but i thought this image really showed that.
Next is the disabled plot, which i thought had to be included because it shows that its not your stereotypical retired old man that has an allotment its for everybody! The council made this plot specially so that he could get around in his wheelchair and that the beds are the right height for him too. i thought this was so thoughtful and shows how important each member of this community is to each other that, unfortunately i didn't get the chance to meet the plot holder though.
This then leads into the sets of images of the plot holders, the first of which is of two brothers one from currently living in Scotland that had traveled down to help out and just a family catch up. I could hardly understand what they were saying but they were so lovely and i really enjoyed talking to them about the plot and how long they'd been there for.
The next image is my favourite of them all, not for how its composed or shot, just for the plot holder and his expression. He seemed so happy that he'd finally dug up this clump of weeds that he'd been trying to get for ages. It was such a quick snapshot, that i honestly thought the image wouldn't come out. But it did and its just hilarious.
Most of the guys i spoke to were retired and come down to the allotments to not only grown their own produce but also to get fresh air and make friends. Everyone knew everyone, but they were so accepting of me and really enjoyed talking to me about their plots and what they grew and all allotment related things.
Next is Colin, i only spoke to him briefly and he hadn't had his plot for very long, but he was just cultivating it and getting it ready for next year, he dug up the biggest parsnip id seen and seemed so happy with himself. I think another big reason why these people grow their own produce is the satisfaction at the end of it, and getting to say 'i grew this myself'.
The next two images are of a great American bloke named Spencer, who'd had his plot for 2/3 years. Him and Terry were just chatting about his allotment and what he was planning on doing next year in the first image but i really love how this has been framed in the archway that had grown itself. I also think it shows that, yes you have your own plot in the allotments, but everyone comes together as a big family and wants to know what your planning and doing next. Theres also just a straight up portrait of him too, he's quite the happy chappy.
The next two images are of a plot holder named John, and from what i gathered from the other plot holders before i met him, he is quite the character, but he's got his allotment more for the competitions that they hold in the summer than his own benefit. Which i think is a bit sad really because its meant to be a family thing, and about the community and bringing people together, not some kind of competitive sport or something.
Laying that aside, he was an alright guy. I really liked the image of him on his phone because i think it shows the different sides to people and that the technology is still a thing even when your out gardening. He was probably the most up for being photographed out of everyone i met, and i think thats because he's very competitive and enjoys having a camera pointed at him, he was doing loads of different poses and showing me all his different things he'd grown and explaining what he was planning on doing for the next coming year.
The next three images are just of individual plot holders. Paul is the first one, he'd had his allotment since August bank holiday 2005, he'd got some pictures that him and his family had taken when they were first cultivating the place and sorting it all out, trying to flattered it down and lay everything out for the next coming year.
Next is Ian, him and his wife have a plot but he spends most of his days here, she normally comes down at the weekend so i couldn't meet her. As you can tell she's decorated their shed, with the butterfly hanging and the big 'Freedom house' sign which i loved. This image was taken on the first shoot i went to, so when i went back again i gave him a copy of the images and its now stuck up just under the sign, which i think it great. But this also shows the individually of each plot holder in the larger community. Comparing the above image and this one, both their sheds are very different, but there still part of the allotments and its just how they set it out.
This is Col, apart from Terry, he was the first person i spoke to on the allotments, he was burning some of his old stuff to slowly try and get everything sorted for the coming season. He'd had this plot at midwinter for about 7 years. But had had a different one for 3 i believe, so he knew quite a lot about the place and people that came and went but he was quite shy and reserved, he pointed out some other plots to me that he thought could be of interested and was just telling me about his plot and the fact he made his greenhouse himself.
I knew i wanted my image selection to be about half plot holders and half still life images of the allotments, which is helped when i was working out which images to use. It was quite hard to work out which images were better than others because i really liked certain ones but then they didn't fit with the others in the series so they had to be cut.
After much thought and some help from my course mates on what images i should use i finally got it down to 20. Below is an image of what the series looked like laid out on a table, and is how i worked out my order and which images to use and what worked best.
Leading to an establishing shot of actually inside the allotments, looking up one of the roads getting a glimpse of the sheds and the plots just so that you get a bit of an idea of what the place is like and how big it actually is. Most of the plot holders have cars and they drive round to their plots because the place is so large, but i thought this image really showed that.
Next is the disabled plot, which i thought had to be included because it shows that its not your stereotypical retired old man that has an allotment its for everybody! The council made this plot specially so that he could get around in his wheelchair and that the beds are the right height for him too. i thought this was so thoughtful and shows how important each member of this community is to each other that, unfortunately i didn't get the chance to meet the plot holder though.
This then leads into the sets of images of the plot holders, the first of which is of two brothers one from currently living in Scotland that had traveled down to help out and just a family catch up. I could hardly understand what they were saying but they were so lovely and i really enjoyed talking to them about the plot and how long they'd been there for.
The next image is my favourite of them all, not for how its composed or shot, just for the plot holder and his expression. He seemed so happy that he'd finally dug up this clump of weeds that he'd been trying to get for ages. It was such a quick snapshot, that i honestly thought the image wouldn't come out. But it did and its just hilarious.
Most of the guys i spoke to were retired and come down to the allotments to not only grown their own produce but also to get fresh air and make friends. Everyone knew everyone, but they were so accepting of me and really enjoyed talking to me about their plots and what they grew and all allotment related things.
Next is Colin, i only spoke to him briefly and he hadn't had his plot for very long, but he was just cultivating it and getting it ready for next year, he dug up the biggest parsnip id seen and seemed so happy with himself. I think another big reason why these people grow their own produce is the satisfaction at the end of it, and getting to say 'i grew this myself'.
The next two images are of a great American bloke named Spencer, who'd had his plot for 2/3 years. Him and Terry were just chatting about his allotment and what he was planning on doing next year in the first image but i really love how this has been framed in the archway that had grown itself. I also think it shows that, yes you have your own plot in the allotments, but everyone comes together as a big family and wants to know what your planning and doing next. Theres also just a straight up portrait of him too, he's quite the happy chappy.
The next two images are of a plot holder named John, and from what i gathered from the other plot holders before i met him, he is quite the character, but he's got his allotment more for the competitions that they hold in the summer than his own benefit. Which i think is a bit sad really because its meant to be a family thing, and about the community and bringing people together, not some kind of competitive sport or something.
Laying that aside, he was an alright guy. I really liked the image of him on his phone because i think it shows the different sides to people and that the technology is still a thing even when your out gardening. He was probably the most up for being photographed out of everyone i met, and i think thats because he's very competitive and enjoys having a camera pointed at him, he was doing loads of different poses and showing me all his different things he'd grown and explaining what he was planning on doing for the next coming year.
The next three images are just of individual plot holders. Paul is the first one, he'd had his allotment since August bank holiday 2005, he'd got some pictures that him and his family had taken when they were first cultivating the place and sorting it all out, trying to flattered it down and lay everything out for the next coming year.
Next is Ian, him and his wife have a plot but he spends most of his days here, she normally comes down at the weekend so i couldn't meet her. As you can tell she's decorated their shed, with the butterfly hanging and the big 'Freedom house' sign which i loved. This image was taken on the first shoot i went to, so when i went back again i gave him a copy of the images and its now stuck up just under the sign, which i think it great. But this also shows the individually of each plot holder in the larger community. Comparing the above image and this one, both their sheds are very different, but there still part of the allotments and its just how they set it out.
This is Col, apart from Terry, he was the first person i spoke to on the allotments, he was burning some of his old stuff to slowly try and get everything sorted for the coming season. He'd had this plot at midwinter for about 7 years. But had had a different one for 3 i believe, so he knew quite a lot about the place and people that came and went but he was quite shy and reserved, he pointed out some other plots to me that he thought could be of interested and was just telling me about his plot and the fact he made his greenhouse himself.
Thats then the last of my images with plot holders in, the rest are all still life of the allotments, produce and just things i saw which i thought added to my project.
Here is a contact sheet of my images that i chose for my final edit too, its also ordered in the same sequence I'm going to present my images.
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